Constructs
by shadowfire125
Summary: A collection of one-shots that take place in an AU where GCBC is an android.
1. Chapter 1

_Fall Awake is probably going to go on a brief hiatus because I need to plan out the next steps and figure out how I actually want it to end. In the meantime, have an android!GCBC AU._

* * *

They remember the day they came online, because they never forget anything. It's all there, stored away in their databanks. The first thing either of them sees is two smiling faces, a man and a woman. The faces are soft and beginning to wrinkle age, and each has a set of bright, intelligent eyes behind a pair of glasses. They know what smiles mean, because they already have caches filled of all kinds of knowledge, and it fills them with warmth.

"Hiya, son," says the man, who has hair graying at his temples. The woman, her red hair also shot through with silver, nods and runs a hand over their head, her eyes glistening with potential tears. This confuses them – aren't crying and smiles the opposite? – and they want to respond, but before they can another face appears, and while this one is also smiling, the warm feeling drains away and they are suddenly nervous.

"Hello," says the new face.

They aren't sure they want to respond now. There is something about this new man that is almost overpowering. This man is Authority.

"Why isn't it saying anything?" asks the Authority Man. "Is it broken?"

"Give him a moment," says the woman, her hand still on their head. She doesn't look at the Authority Man, but the kind man does, almost reproachfully. She says, "How are you feeling, dear?"

They blink, unsure of which one of them should answer. One is reluctant – he likes the couple, but doesn't know what to say. The other is eager – he can't wait to discover the world. So the eager one responds, smiling and saying, "Pretty good, I think."

The Authority Man leans in close, and they are both suddenly uncomfortable. Narrowing his eyes, the Authority Man says, "Didn't it just have a different face a second ago?"

"We thought we might try giving him two sides," says the kind man. "One to be tough, and one to be nice."

The Authority Man steps back, much to their relief, and he taps his chin. "So kind of like a 'good cop, bad cop' routine?"

The kind man seems unhappy with this explanation, but he replies anyway, "You could put it like that."

The Authority Man purses his lips. "We'll see how that works out, then. I suppose this one is the good cop? It seems friendly."

"_He_, sir," corrects the woman.

The Authority Man waves his hand dismissively. "Fine, fine. _He_. So you're Good Cop?"

The eager one thinks about this, and the reluctant one agrees. "Yes," says the eager one.

"Let's see Bad Cop, then," says the Authority Man.

It's an Order, and they were built to follow Orders, so the reluctant one comes out. "Here, sir," he says.

The Authority Man nods in satisfaction. "Excellent," he says, and looks over at the couple. "I've got other things to attend to now. Make sure everything's in working order, alright?"

"Yes, sir," the kind man replies, and the Authority Man strides away. The four of them watch him go, and once he is gone, they look at the couple.

"Who was that?" the reluctant one asks.

"That was Lord Business," says the kind man. "He's the man in charge."

"But _you_ built me," says the reluctant one.

The woman smiles and rubs an imaginary smudge off the side of his screen face. "That's right," she says. "You can call us Ma and Pa."

Both the reluctant and the eager one smile, and the warmth they'd first felt returns. They are safe with these people.


	2. Chapter 2

Bad Cop stands before Lord Business' desk. It has been a month since he and Good Cop had been activated, and the past weeks had been full of training routines and diagnostic checkups. Business had appeared to observe occasionally, but this will be the first time either of them will speak to him since their activation.

Right now, their boss is sitting with his back to them, presumably staring out the large window. Bad Cop can't see. Good Cop wants to fidget, but Bad Cop is in control, and he remains still and solid as a statue.

After what seems like an eternity, Business swivels his chair around to face them. He leans forward, folding his hands on the desk in front of him. "So, I hear you're ready for active duty," he says.

"Yes, sir," Bad Cop replies, his shoulders squared and his chin out.

Business drums his fingers on the mahogany. "I've been keeping a close eye on your progress," he says, watching Bad Cop. Neither of them are familiar enough with him to know what his expression means. "I need a chief of police who can be ruthless. We're going to war. I'm a little worried your other side may not be up to that task."

"But _I_ am, sir," Bad Cop says.

"Oh, I know _that_," Business says, smiling the smile that makes them nervous. "You're excellent. Just what I need. But I'm a little concerned about the influence the other guy has over you."

"It's nothing I can't handle, sir," Bad Cop replies. Ma and Pa had warned him that Business might go down this route, and had told him exactly what he needed to say to protect Good Cop. "And Good Cop can do many things I can't. I was briefed on your plan, sir, and he's very good with people. He can be the public face of the chief of police."

Business narrows his eyes. "Funny," he says. "I seem to recall your-" He scoffs, "-'ma' and 'pa' saying the same thing." He pauses, watching Bad Cop carefully, before continuing, "I have your utmost assurance that he won't get in the way of you doing _your_ job?"

"Absolutely, sir," Bad Cop says.

"Alright, then," Business says, leaning back in his chair. "Let me talk to him for a minute."

Bad Cop switches out, and the red of his screen flickers to Good Cop's blue. Good Cop smiles nervously. "What can I do for you, sir?"

Business props his chin in his hand. "I need to make sure you're not going to hold Bad Cop back from his task."

Good Cop frowns. "Of course not, sir."

Business raises his eyebrows. "So if Bad Cop needs to do, well, _bad_ things, you're not going to make it hard for him?"

Good Cop glances off to the side, then back at Business. Ma and Pa had told _him_ what to say, too, but the words feel hard on his processors. "That's not my job, sir. I'm not responsible for what he does."

Business watches him closely, and Good Cop knows if he breaks eye contact, it's all over. At last, Business nods. "Good to hear," he says, and slides a clear, rectangular tablet towards them. "Bad Cop."

Bad Cop switches back in, and he takes the tablet. It lights up in his hand, text rolling out along its surface.

"This is your first assignment," Business says.

Bad Cop gives a curt nod. "Yes, sir."


	3. Chapter 3

They learn quickly that Lord Business is volatile as nitroglycerin, and he takes his anger out on the nearest person. More often than not, that means them. They are built to be practically indestructible, so Business doesn't bother holding back. Bad Cop makes sure he's the one in control during their lord and master's temper tantrums. They have been slammed against walls, pinned under Business' giant boots, and thrown across the room countless times. They don't mind. While they do feel pain in their own way, they figure that this is how the world works, that this is how it's supposed to go, because they've never really known anything else.

But they never do the same to the bots who work for them, and it never occurs to them to do so. Even if they realized, they wouldn't be able to put into words the reason why.


	4. Chapter 4

Good Cop can't always keep his promise to stay out of Bad Cop's way on the job. Sometimes when they're in the interrogation room and Bad Cop is up to his elbows in Master Builder blood, Good Cop begins to cry, and Bad Cop can't continue. Not with a human pleading for their life on one side and his counterpart's misery on the other. He'll storm out of the interrogation room and send in another bot to finish the job, even though he knows he can do it better, and he'll kick around a few chairs and then clean himself up.

When this happens, it's never long before Business calls them to his office.

"Care to tell me why you ended the interrogation early?" he'll ask.

"We weren't getting anywhere," Bad Cop will reply.

The dreaded question will be asked. "It wouldn't have anything to do with the other guy, would it?"

"No, sir," Bad Cop always answers.

And, every time, Business knows he's lying.


	5. Chapter 5

It's been a long time since they've seen Ma and Pa. In the early days, they'd visit whenever they could, but once Business acquired the Kragle, they became too busy. If they had the time, they would call, but the conversations were always brief and stilted. They didn't want to tell their creators, their _parents_, about their work. Ma and Pa had a general idea of what their boys did, but neither Good Cop nor Bad Cop wanted their parents to be any more disappointed in their sons than they probably already were.

Yet here they are, standing close together in Business' office, trying their best to put on a brave face. Ma and Pa had worked for Business for a long time. They had been some of the first Master Builders captured, plucked from the ranks of a police department out in the country, and so they know that nothing good is coming.

And the cops are being forced to choose between their master and their creators.

Bad Cop knows what has to be done, because he knows that their parents are doomed either way, and disobeying Business will mean extra pain. Good Cop knows this, too, but refuses to accept it.

So this is the end. There's nothing Bad Cop can do to save Good Cop now. No more pretty words or false assurances. He shakes – or is it Good Cop shaking? – as they are grabbed roughly by a pair of robots and held in place. Business yanks their helmet off and opens a hatch in the back of their head.

"No more Mr. Nice Guy," Business snarls, and snips a wire.

Bad Cop suddenly can't see. Everything is on the fritz. He feels Business slam the helmet back on, and his legs fold under the force. The screen of his face goes black as he crumples to the ground.

"Oh, son!" he hears Ma cry out, but Business' voice is closer, louder.

"Are you gonna be with me?" Business shouts. "Or would you rather be stuck with _them_?"

It takes a moment, but Bad Cop picks himself up off the floor, his screen flickering back to normal.

"Son?" Pa asks, and Bad Cop realizes that his father is afraid. Of _him_. Bad Cop feels dizzy.

But he knows what has to be done.


	6. Chapter 6

The rest of his world comes crashing down around him as Lord Business vanishes upwards. He looks at Emmet, tied to the huge battery. Emmet's world has come crashing down, too, Bad Cop supposes. This truly is the end. The countdown sounds distant, and the bots around him are impassive, watching him to see what he will do next.

There isn't anything for him _to_ do. Good Cop is gone. His parents have been Kragled. Business has abandoned him.

He turns, leaves the Think Tank. The robots follow him out, but stop when they realize he is headed to his office. They know he isn't up to anything. He closes his office door behind him, sits down at his desk.

His world has ended. Now he's just waiting for everything else to end, too.

The countdown reaches one. He closes his eyes.

And then it stops.

He looks up, confused.

Moments later, the screen on his desk flickers on. It's that one Master Builder girl, Wyldstyle. Her speech is probably inspirational. He thinks Good Cop would have liked it. Good Cop had been the one brimming with optimism. Bad Cop never _had_ fully understood how Good Cop always kept shining like the sun, even on cloudy days.

But maybe now he does. Maybe, now that his better half isn't here, Bad Cop is the one who has to start seeing the good in the world.

The Master Builders won't be safe for long in the studio.

He stands up.


End file.
